Ella Rides to Ayortha on a Stolen Horse
by negativethursday
Summary: Lucinda actually takes away the curse when Ella asks, and Ella rides to Ayortha to try to win Char back!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters or this universe. The italics are direct quotes from the book.

_"I spent the hours till dawn imagining my release from the curse and thinking about my reunion with Char. I couldn't decide whether I should steal one of Mum Olga's horses and ride to Ayortha to surprise him, or whether I should wait and amaze him at the balls."_

_…_

_"You won't bestow any more gifts, then?"_

_"Never. I wish I could take them all back._

_I stepped out from behind the curtain, even though I'd promised I wouldn't. "Please do take them back."_

_ This was my chance, the chance for the freedom I always should have had, the chance to escape from my stepfamily, the chance to win Char back. But I was so nervous my voice was gone. I could only nod._

_ "What did I do to you, child?" Lucinda whispered, as though afraid of my answer._

_ I found my voice. "You made me obedient. Now you know how it is."_

_ "I do, child."_

_ She touched my cheek, and my heart rose._ Then suddenly, I felt something stir within me. Something was lifting from me, trying to force its way through me, and I was afraid I might lose my balance. I shuddered, and Mandy rushed forward to hold me up. I closed my eyes and tried to regain control of my shaking body. It was like someone had given me a command that I was trying to disobey, and I was experiencing every physical complaint I had ever had before, but multiplied tenfold. I felt like I was about to puke, like my throat was on fire, like my head was about to split open. Despite my inner agony, I couldn't open my mouth to scream. I truly thought I was about to die.

But then, as suddenly as it had started, the feeling was gone. I gasped for air, and then stood straighter, trying to figure out what just happened. Mandy was still holding me, but I walked away from her, and towards Lucinda, who was trying to erase the fear from her eyes. I tried to take stock of myself. I did feel lighter, but also fuller, more complete. But I still wasn't sure what this meant. Was it over? Was the curse gone, that easily?

"Give me a command," I said hoarsely. My throat was unbearably dry. But Lucinda was speechless.

"Ella, come here," Mandy said. I turned around, almost prepared to walk to her out of habit, but then I stopped myself. I waited for the curse to kick in, to push me to go to Mandy, but nothing happened. The seconds ticked by, and all I felt was an intense dryness in my throat, nothing more. I stayed my ground. No one said a word.

"Ella, child, walk over to the window," Lucinda said from behind me.

I didn't move, hoping it wasn't too good to be true.

Then Mandy smiled, and I knew. I ran over to her, and she scooped me up in a huge hug and spun me around. "It's over, love," she whispered to me. I was crying, though I didn't remember when I had started.

"Ahem," Lucinda coughed. We both turned to her, and I was speechless once more.

"While I'm not sure I approve of using such big magic without thinking it through, it seems that it's actually worked. Fancy that," said Mandy.

"Thank you so much, lady," I said. "This is a wonderful gift, and I will cherish it for the rest of my days." I coughed, trying to clear my voice. "I am forever indebted to you," I added. Lucinda beamed. She was even starting to look younger as we spoke.

"Ah dear, what can I say, it's all in a day's work. Now I'm afraid I must be off. Enjoy your new freedom," she sang. And the next second she was gone, with a slight poof, leaving behind the familiar scent of lilacs.

"Oh, Lady," Mandy sighed. "I wish I had known that it was that simple…but I suppose it's good that she acted without consulting me, because I would have had to tell her not to. That was some awfully big magic."

I considered scowling, but I was too overcome with joy.

"I'm so thirsty," I managed to croak, and Mandy whisked me off to the kitchen, where I drank four cups of water before speaking again.

"I should leave tonight," I said, lowering my voice to a whisper, though my stepfamily was all abed.

"Leave? Where are you running off to?" Mandy frowned.

"To Ayortha, to find Char. I need to win him back, Mandy. I can't stand the thought of him hating me an instant more than he has to."

"But why the rush? Surely the prince can wait until the morning."

I shook my head. "I don't want Hattie to find out I've broken the curse, or she might try to enslave me for real." I took another sip of water. "I lost him once, Mandy. I can't lose him again."

Mandy tried to protest, but my mind was made up. I went to my room to gather all my possessions, and Mandy gave me a sack with enough food to last me a month, and then I was out in Mum Olga's stables, sneaking past the dozing stable boy and trying to be quiet as I saddled my horse. His name was Philip, and he only whinnied once.

I led him to the back of the house, where Mandy was waiting. It was just past midnight.

"Are you sure you don't want to get a good night's rest, and leave at dawn?" she asked.

"I love him," was all I said. It seemed to be enough for her. It was too dark to see her clearly, but suddenly I wondered what I would see if I could look into her eyes. Had Mandy ever been in love? Were fairies allowed to be in love? Had Mandy always been…Mandy? Or had she once been young and beautiful and in love? Somehow, this had never come up between us. But it would have to wait until I came back. I was eager to see my own love, after all.

Mandy hugged me tightly. "Go now, before I change my mind," she said. I smiled, and mounted Philip, pausing to make sure my bags were securely fastened, and then rode off into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

_AN: Here's chapter two! Also, it's my birthday today (5/13), and I would love to get some feedback on any of this! But if you don't want to, that's cool too :)_

I rode all through the night, and pulled into an inn around 10 o'clock. I wanted to be galloping the whole way, but I knew that Philip wouldn't last long if I pushed him too hard. So instead we went at a steady trot, with the occasional walking break. It wasn't the fastest way to get to Char, but it was definitely better than walking by myself.

I slept from 10 until 4 in the evening, and then had an early dinner before leaving again. Mandy had given me enough food so I wouldn't have to buy any, but I wasn't sure how often I would be able to have a hot meal, and I liked the innkeepers, an elderly couple who were welcoming without asking too many questions. When I said I was heading to Ayortha, they pointed me in the right direction and left it at that. I was grateful; I didn't want to make my intentions known, nor did I fancy trying to come up with an alibi. Besides, doubtful though it was, Mum Olga might send someone to search for me, so anonymity was crucial.

Philip and I set out again at 5 o'clock, and I realized that my haste might make me nocturnal. Night wasn't the safest time for a maiden to travel alone, but I avoided the main road and otherwise didn't see many people.

I was wary of being overtaken by ogres, ruefully thinking that without my curse they would be much less likely to keep me alive for as long, but I kept practicing my persuasion, knowing it would be the only thing between life and death. My throat was still scratchy and dry, but it got better with every passing day, and I pushed back any worries that it would hinder my persuasion. Ayortha was about four or five days away from Frell (with my pace, five), and through an area that was not likely to be inhabited by ogres. I just had to keep moving forward.

I continued with my odd schedule, arriving at inns sometime in the morning and leaving sometime in the evening. When I ran out of money after the third day, I slept outside, though never too far from someone's house. Once I snuck in someone's barn, but I felt so guilty about it the next morning that I left them three loaves of bread as payment.

During my last night of riding, I began to feel extremely anxious. I had never been to Ayortha before; what if I got lost? What if I forgot how to speak Ayorthian and made a fool of myself? What if couldn't find the royal palace? What if, when I finally found it, I was not allowed to see Char? I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. What if Char refused to see me?

What if he never forgave me?

What if he didn't love me anymore?

What if he had found someone else?

I hadn't been able to see any of his journal entries since the one where he burned all my letters. I had no idea what he had been occupying himself with for these past 5 months.

Char was good. He would listen to me, if I asked him to. He would let me explain myself. I just didn't know if that would be good enough.

All this worrying wasn't going to help, so I tried to drive those thoughts from my mind. I would see him, and I would explain things, but the rest was out of my hands. First, I just needed to get to him.

By midnight, however, I was exhausted. It seemed that my sleepless nights were finally catching up to me, and Philip was dragging his hoofs. I scrounged in my rucksack and, by a stroke of luck, found a few coins in a pocket I rarely used. The loaves of bread and apples that Mandy had packed me were good enough, but right now I wanted to sit at a table and have someone bring me a nice hot meal. I stopped at the next inn I saw.

When I entered, I realized that I must have passed into Ayortha without realizing it. Despite the late hour, a dozen or more people were seated in the dining room, and everyone was speaking Ayorthian, but the innkeeper greeted me in Kyrrian, asking me how long I would be staying and if I wanted anything to eat. I was dying to speak Ayorthian with an actual Ayorthian, but I decided it wasn't worth drawing the extra attention to myself.

Sitting alone at a table in the far corner of the dining room, I took out the magic book and skimmed through its pages. I first turned to a short note from Mandy.

_Dear Lady,_

_Your absence has been noted. Dame Olga is acting as though you were never here, but Hattie is now constantly muttering about how you ran away from the only people who would ever love you, and other such nonsense. Olive isn't saying much. _

_Surprisingly, no one has bothered to ask me if I know what happened to you. I guess they assume that I wouldn't tell them. But still, this way I don't have to feel bad about lying._

_I hope your journey to the prince isn't proving too troublesome, and I pray that once you are safely in his hands you send me a letter to let me know you are well._

_The days are long and dull without you. _

_Love, Mandy_

_P.S. In your haste to leave, you left your tonic behind. Pity._

I had known exactly how my stepfamily would react to my sudden departure, so Mandy's letter didn't surprise me too much, but it was nice to hear from her. Even though it had been less than a week, I missed her terribly. I smiled at the post script, though. I suspected Mandy knew that I had purposefully left tonic behind, but I being free from the curse meant I was also free from tonic. Good riddance.

I was hoping the book would show me something about Char, but once again there was nothing. When I spoke to him, I would really have no idea how he was feeling or what he had been doing. As long as he wasn't in love with someone else, I had a chance. I kept telling myself that, over and over and over.

The book did show me a map of where I was, and I realized with a shock that I was in Areida's parents' inn. I sunk down in my chair as I spun my head around, but I didn't see her anywhere. I longed to see her again, but not at the expense of my identity. Maybe I would visit her on the way back. That seemed like a good plan.

The map also gave me directions to the Ayorthian court, which didn't seem too far from where I was.. With warm soup in my belly, I suddenly no longer felt tired, in fact, I was wide awake. I stood, and then sat again. Poor Philip was exhausted, surely he deserved a good night's rest.

I looked at the map again, trying to judge the distance. There was no scale, so I didn't know how far away court was, really. Reluctantly, I called over a serving maid, who must have been one of Areida's numerable siblings. She leaned down, and I whispered to her that I was looking to get to court as soon as possible, and asked if she knew how far it was. I had closed the book, and even if it had been open, I wasn't sure she would have been able to see the map. But she gave me the information I needed. By foot, court was only a few hours from here.

I could walk there in a night. The thought made my stomach flip over. I could see Char tonight, if I wanted to.

I stood up again, and, pausing to leave the rest of my money on the table, slid out of the inn. If I could see Char tonight, then I would. It was that simple.

As I walked down the path to the road, I heard Philip whinny in the stable. I went over to him and kissed his nose. "Thank you," I whispered, wishing horses had a language that I could understand. I reached in my bag and handed him an apple, a gesture that I hoped would be understood without words. Areida's family would take excellent care of him, I was sure.

Then I turned and walked away down the road, my mind whirling, trying to decide what to say to Char. He would have to listen. He would have to forgive me. He just had to.


	3. Chapter 3

_AN: And here's chapter 3! Hopefully we'll get to Char next chapter!_

_Disclaimer: I still don't own any of this._

I walked through the night, trying to gain control of my nerves but ultimately failing miserably. I was trying to rehearse what I would say, but it was difficult to know how to start when I didn't know what he would say when he saw me. If he wanted to see me at all, that is.

I reached the Ayorthian Court at about three in the morning, though it was hard to tell what time it was. From there, I wasn't sure where to go. I couldn't just walk through the front door of the palace and expect to find Char. I should have thought about this more clearly before I left the inn.

I heard a stream running close by, and I realized that I was filthy. I had been sooty and dusty when I left Mum Olga's; five days of travelling definitely hadn't helped matters. I meandered towards the stream, hoping that I could make myself somewhat presentable.

It was too cold to properly bath myself, but I took off all my clothes and rinsed them out, and then hung them to dry on a tree branch. I positioned myself on a large rock and took out the magic book once more. There was just enough moonlight to read by.

I squinted at the map that I had seen earlier, but it didn't offer any more detail about Char's location. I reread the letter from Mandy, wishing she were here to help me. I read a few fairytales, the old and new alike. I was about to check my clothes on the branch when I flipped to the last page and a journal entry from Char.

_Today was hard._

That was all it said. But as soon as I tried to puzzle out the meaning, I saw new words appear on the page before my eyes.

_I would do anything to see her right now._

My heart quickened, and I felt heat rush to my face, but as I stared at the words, an invisible pen began to cross them out, carving violent lines through the handwriting that I knew so well. I put my hand on the page, hoping to save them, but it was no use. Even when the words were illegible, undecipherable, the lines continued to appear, until all that remained was a thick, solid, black line. And then the paper was wrinkling, and then it began to smoke around the edges, and then the page just disappeared from my book, as if it had just disintegrated. I inspected the spine, and found a jagged tear, as if someone had torn the page out.

I started shaking and shivering, and I bit back the tears that were threatening to spill over. I had thought that being free from the curse would solve all my problems, but it seemed like Char was too far gone. He hated me, he hated me, and he would never forgive me.

But the book wasn't done yet. I blinked back the tears and repositioned myself on the rock, eager to read whatever he wrote next.

_Today was hard._

_I try not to think of her, but somehow I always do. Most of the time, I don't even realizing it's happening. Something comical will happen, and I'll think to myself that she would love to hear it. When I find myself bored in court, which is often, I'll imagine what she would say if she were here, how she would make even the most boring meetings more entertaining than they ever had a right to be. Whenever I speak Ayorthian, I picture her laughing at my accent. Every maid I see, I compare to her, and not one has been able to surpass her._

_But then I remember what has happened, and who she really is, and it makes me want to scream or cry or go to sleep and never have to wake up. Or go to sleep, and wake up in Frell, a year ago, when we were dancing at her father's wedding. Or wake up the morning that we saved her from the ogres, and see her concern over my burned hand, and see her anxious about leaving me in danger. _

_How could she have lied? How could she have deceived me so? Never, not in a million years, would I have ever imagined her to be who she is. She was capable, surely, but she was capable of anything. I just never believed her to be so…dishonest. _

_But no matter how many times I tell myself to forget about her, to hate her, I can't. I can't forget the one person who ever made me feel truly like myself. I can't hate her. And for that, I hate myself._

Tears had finally started, though I wasn't sure when. A few moments after I finished reading, the paper wrinkled as before, smoked at the edges, and then disappeared. He couldn't bear to see his thoughts laid out so plainly, even if they were true. I wiped the tears that were sliding down my cheeks and prepared to close the book, but another entry appeared. What was he going to say now?

_Today was hard. And trying to write down my thoughts certainly isn't helping._

He didn't write anything more.

I stared at the words, waiting for something to happen, but nothing did. Of all the things he had written, this was what he was choosing to stay in his journal. I had a sneaking suspicion that all his journal entries of late were more or less the same, among these lines. I finally tore my eyes away from the page and stared up at the moon, trying to organize my thoughts.

He didn't hate me, that was true, but he hated himself, which was worse. But that, I dared to hope, was much easier to solve.

I looked back down at the book, and Char's journal entry was gone. Instead, there was a new map, much more detailed than the one I had been using earlier. And this map told me everything I needed to know.

_AN: Hehe._


	4. Chapter 4

_AN: Sorry for the long delay! I had to write a research paper, my brother graduated from college, it was my prom weekend, etc etc etc! I was originally going to end the story with this chapter, but then it got so long, and I hadn't updated in such a long time, that I decided to split it! Sorry that I couldn't make good on my promise for Char, but this is better than nothing, right?_

_I have most of the second part written, so I should be able to get the conclusion up in a couple days! Thanks to everyone who's reviewed! 3_

I grabbed my dress of the tree branch and pulled it over my head. It was still a bit damp, but it was cleaner. I washed my face the best that I could, but with no mirror I could only hope for the best.

After I gathered all my possessions, I left the stream and turned back towards the quiet town. My bag was slung over my shoulder, and I was carrying the magic book in my arms, my thumb marking one of its pages. Every once in a while, I would stop in a patch of moonlight and double check my course, hoping beyond hope that I was reading it correctly. It must still be a few hours until dawn, and I didn't want anyone to see me. Wandering around the Ayorthian court in the middle of the night was already suspicious; being caught trying to see the prince of Kyrria, in my sooty state, would be grounds for arrest.

But the Ayorthians must not have been too concerned with anyone sneaking around at night, because I saw very few guards. The ones I did see were either asleep or about to be, and I had no trouble remaining hidden.

After a half hour of walking and only getting lost twice, I finally saw it. The window. There was a faint glow emanating from behind the curtains. He was still awake. It was the middle of the night, and he was still awake.

I didn't need to double check the magic book to be certain. The moment I saw it, I felt a knot form in my stomach, and I knew he was in there. The problem now was getting there. I didn't want to shout or make a lot of noise to get his attention, and I didn't have anything to throw. I surveyed the wall, and stepped forward. It was old and stony, with missing stones and stones that jutted out at odd angles. I tested one of the rocks with my hands, and it seemed stable enough.

I swung my bag off my shoulder and leaned it against the side of the wall, and gingerly placed the magic book next to it. Then I looked back up at Char's window, which suddenly seemed impossibly high up. Then I saw a breeze move the curtain, and my stomach flipped over. He was there, he was just up there, he was waiting for me. I didn't come all this way to be stopped by a wall. Gritting my teeth, I began to climb.

It was slow going, especially since I was trying to be as silent as possible. I almost fell once, but I caught myself somehow. Whenever I felt my hand shake, I reminded myself that I just needed to get to his window, and everything would be okay. As long as I didn't fall, it would be okay.

I don't know how long I spent climbing that wall; it seemed to take forever, but at the same time, no time at all. Finally, I reached his window sill, and, suppressing a grunt, pulled myself onto it. I looked down, and my head began to swim, and I clutched the side of the window for support.

I forced myself to look away from the ground and turned my attention to the voluptuous curtains. They were too thick to see even a silhouette. I had no idea what he was doing, if he was trying to sleep, or he was still burning his thoughts about me.

I ran my hand along the curtain's sides, and shifted it just enough for me to see through.

The room was empty!

Doubt and terror gripped me, and my head swayed so violently that I tumbled into the room. What if this wasn't his room? What if he had left Ayortha? What if he was somewhere else, in trouble?

I pulled myself up and looked around, trying to calm myself, looking for evidence to contradict my wild imaginings. Unable to find anything, I walked over to the writing desk, where I saw an open book. His journal! It was open to the page that I had last seen in my magic book, but he had added something else.

_Today was hard. And trying to write down my thoughts certainly isn't helping._

_**[Crossed out words, scribbles.]**_

_I need to take a walk. That's what I'm going to do._

He was taking a walk. It was lucky, I supposed, that we hadn't run into each other on the grounds. Or perhaps it would have been better to for him to see me outside, instead of inexplicably in his chambers. Regardless, I was inside and he was still outside, and I wasn't about to go looking for him. An overwhelming exhaustion overtook me; it felt like I hadn't slept in days, and I could barely keep my eyes open.

I walked slowly over to the bed, and blew out the burning candle. Without its small light, the room was completely dark. As I climbed into bed and felt sleep begin to take over my thoughts, I managed one last small smile.

He wouldn't just find me in his bedroom, he would find me in his bed. I was certainly going to be a surprise.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: I realized that what I was writing was way too long, so I had to split it, and the only place that made sense for me to split it is earlier on in the chapter...so this one's kinda short, but the next one will be pretty long, ya get me? Sorry for not getting to the end yet, but I swear I didn't think it would take this long! Anyway, I should have the conclusion up in a couple days, cus it's aaaaaalmost done.  
Thanks to everyone who's reviewed/favorited/etc, and I hope you enjoy Char! :)

I don't know how long I slept, but I woke at the sound of someone opening the door. It was still dark, though maybe not as dark as before. It could have been the next night for all I knew.

The door opened, and there he was. I couldn't see much, but there was something about him, something about the way he held himself, that made me certain it was him. I felt like I was about to throw up. I thought about getting up and making my presence known, but suddenly I was paralyzed.

When he stepped in and closed the door, his silhouette all but disappeared, and he was just a darker shadow among all the other shadows around him.

He moved over to his wardrobe and into the moonlight streaming through the window, and began to unbutton his shirt. I felt like I should avert my gaze at the very least, but my eyes were transfixed. I couldn't have looked away even if I wanted to, and I definitely didn't want to.

After his shirt came his trousers, which he stepped out of and left in a heap on the floor. He was just in his undergarments now. My prince, my love, standing in a dark room in his undergarments while I was hiding in his bed. It certainly wasn't the grand entrance I had hoped for.

Then he was walking towards the bed, and then he was pulling back the covers on the other side, and then he was underneath them, inches from me, and I felt the heat of his body practically touching me...

And then he did touch me.

His hand grazed my back, a shudder went through me involuntarily. Instantly he was out of bed again, reaching for matches and trying to light the candle I had blown out. I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep. Let him think I hadn't seen him strip.

He lit the match, and then gasped. "Ella?" he whispered, his voice showing his shock, and, I dared to believe...hope? Though that might have just been more shock.

The lit match must have fallen from his hands, because an instant later the light I had seen through my eyelids vanished. Char didn't light another one-I heard the rustling of fabric and realized he was putting his clothes back on. Pity.

He came over to my side of the bed and sat next to me. I still had my eyes closed, wondering what on earth I could say. What was he thinking? Was he still mad at me? Was he going to make me leave and never come back? I struggled to keep my breathing steady.

I expected him to yell at me, or shake me, or poke me, or even hit me, but he remained still. He didn't make a move. Maybe his thoughts were just as scattered as mine were. I was beginning to think that maybe I really would fall back asleep, but then I felt his weight shift. I felt his hand on my cheek, caressing it slowly.

"Oh, Ella."

I wasn't sure if I should still pretend to be asleep, or if I should pretend to wake up. As much as I loved feeling the warmth of his hand, I couldn't stand this uncertainty. Before I could decide what to do, Char moved away. I opened my eyes a little bit, and saw that he had buried his head in his hands.

Slowly, I sat up, brushing the hair from my face, and Char lifted his head out of his hands and looked at me. Even though it was dark, I could see his eyes clearly. We stared at each other for a long while.

Then we spoke at the same time.

"Ella, what are you-"

"Char, I-"

We both stopped. Then I whispered, "You go."

He took a breath.

"What are you doing here? Where is your...husband?" He hesitated before the word, and it was evident that it pained him to say it. Despite the seriousness of this situation, I had to suppress a smile. Shameful though it was, I enjoyed seeing him upset over my supposed marriage. I wanted to grab his shoulders and yell, "I don't have a husband!" and kiss him again and again and again, but I needed to explain things properly. Kissing would come later, hopefully. I blushed at the thought, but it was dark enough that he didn't see.

"I don't have a husband," I whispered, looking away from his eyes and down at my hands.

"You don't?" he asked, and I shook my head.

He put his hand under my chin and brought my head up, so we were looking at each other again. His brow was furrowed, his forehead wrinkled, as he tried to understand.

"Then why..." he muttered to himself. He ran his hand through his hair, and I watched as his face went through a series of emotions too rapid for me to process.

Then he said, "Ella, why are you here?" His tone was proper and detached, and it was clear that he was asking me as my prince and not as my friend. He was trying to distance himself from me and this situation. He was telling himself not to care. My heart sank.

Because I love you, I wanted to say.

"Because I wanted to see you," I said, trying to sound just as distant as he did, and failing.

"Why?"

Because I love you. Because I broke the curse that kept me from marrying you. Because I love you. Because I love you. Because I love you.

I was silent for so long that Char must have assumed I wasn't going to answer the question. The words were building on my tongue when he spoke again.

"Ella, tell me true, why did I receive a letter from your stepsister telling me you were married?"

There was no simple answer for this, so I decided it was time to give him the truth.

"I have to tell you something," I said, raising my voice from the whisper I had been using. "It's a long story, but I hope it will explain a lot of what has happened between us." He didn't say anything, he just nodded.


	6. Chapter 6

_AN: Okay, I swear, NEXT chapter is going to be the end! I felt so bad for not updating that I decided to give you what I have here (after this part, I've been getting some serious writer's block, but I've been talking it out with some friends and hopefully it will get back on track soon!). Sorry for not updating for so long...this school year took forever to end! But as of yesterday I am officially a high school graduate, and totally recommitted to writing!_

_Thanks for the reviews/follows/favorites, it's always really nice to get those emails, because they remind me that people are actually reading this :)_

I told him everything. It felt wonderful to get it all out, like I was breaking the curse all over again, but Char's face remained stolid and unmoving, making me wonder if my words had any impact on him at all. Did he believe me? More importantly, would he forgive me?

He was a good listener, and only interrupted a few times to ask questions or clarify something. When I recounted our morning at the menagerie, when the ogre had commanded me to come forward, I saw something shift in his face.

"That's why he didn't need to be persuasive," he said, half to me and half to himself. "It all makes sense now."

"I felt awful for lying to you," I said, knowing that this would not be the last apology I would make tonight.

"Then why did you?" he snapped. I was taken aback by his tone, and my heart began to pound with fear. He must have regretted his outburst, because he lowered his voice and said, "I'm sorry Ella, please forgive me. You must understand...I...this is all very new to me, and I still don't even know why you're here, or how you got here, or why I got that letter, or what any of this means for us... That is to say, what this means for you, and for me." He was stumbling over his words. I took some deep breaths, and the pounding of my heart faded slightly; he was very good at hiding it, but he was nervous too. I had hope. "I just...why didn't you tell me? I could have helped you. I...can still help you."

I should probably have mentioned that I had broken the curse, but now didn't seem right.

"I wish I could have told you, but my mother ordered me never to tell anyone about the curse. Even if I could, what could you have done?"

I meant it as a rhetorical question, but he put his chin in his hand and furrowed his brow. I didn't want him to spend too much time worrying about this, especially since there was nothing to worry about, so I interrupted his thoughts and whispered, "You couldn't have done anything, Char. No one could have done anything."

He raised his head and looked at me, and there was such pain in his eyes I thought I might cry.

"What about the fairy? Can't she take it back? Can't she, if I command her to?" I shook my head, but he kept going. "Surely she must! Why, I'll leave at once, and I will find her, and when I do I will make her take this horrible curse away from you! Then...then...why are you smiling, Ella?"

I laughed. It was probably wrong of me, to laugh at a prince, but he looked so confused and I was so happy that I couldn't hold it in.

"Char, it means a lot to me that you are so willing to help, but I can assure you that you do not need to go to such lengths on my behalf. I...I probably should have mentioned this earlier, but the reason I am here now is because I broke the curse myself several days ago."

It took him a moment to fully understand what my words meant, but then he broke out into the biggest grin I had ever seen, and words tumbled out of his mouth.

"You did? Why didn't you tell me that earlier? How did you do it? What happened?!"

"I told you it was a long story, and you interrupted me and now it's all out of order," I said in a mockingly chastising tone. "If you'll let me tell it in order-"

"But it's gone, truly?" he interrupted again. He couldn't help himself. I smiled and nodded. His hand found mine, our fingers intertwined. He went on, his voice getting louder and faster with each word."Ella, for the past hour I've been out of my mind trying to think of how to help you, and now...and now..." He trailed off, and for a moment he was silent. Suddenly he removed his hand and sat up straight, and just like that he was a prince again.

"Ella," he said, his voice hiding his emotions again, "why are you here?"

He didn't hate me, he had never hated me, but there was still a lot that remained unresolved. I saw it flash before my eyes: the letter from Hattie, the image in my magic book of Char burning it, the violent scribbles I had seen in his diary just hours ago. I had put him through so much pain. I had hurt the one person I loved more than anything.

But that was over now, and hopefully I would never hurt him again. For the rest of our lives, I would do nothing but love him with all my heart. I needed to tell him that. He needed to know. Why hadn't I told him as soon as he came in the room? It seemed like all my other thoughts had faded away, and all that remained was this uncontrollable need for him to know what I had been meaning to tell him all along.

As I prepared to say it, I closed my eyes and braced myself. I knew he didn't hate me, so why was I so afraid?

I knew that once I spoke the words, I couldn't take them back. I imagined what Char must have felt when he posted the letter in which he declared his love for me - and what he must have felt when he got my response. Surely that was worse than this; and if he could live through that, then I had no right to be afraid. And yet, I was.

I did my best to swallow my fear. I hadn't suffered so much at the hands of my stepfamily and broken the curse and come all this way just to be afraid. I had to do it. Not just for Char, but for me. He needed to know, but also I needed to tell him. I needed to tell him. I needed to tell him.

So I spoke the words that had been building inside me for the past hour, the past week, the past year.

"Because I am in love with you."


	7. Chapter 7

"You love me?"

I nodded, too afraid to speak. My eyes were closed, so I couldn't see his face. He sounded surprised, though. I could interpret that much.

I wished that I had been able to explain things in a better way, but I couldn't bring myself to regret the words. It felt wonderful to finally get them out after so much time.

Several moments passed. Then he spoke.

"Ella, you broke my heart."

"I'm sorry," I whispered as a reply. I meant to speak louder, but something caught in my throat. "I'm so, so sorry, Char. You have to understand that I hate myself for what I did."

I hadn't quite realized that until I said it, but I knew it was true. I couldn't imagine the kind of pain he had been feeling for the past six months, and I couldn't bear knowing that I was the cause of it. I opened my eyes, and a few tears made their way down my cheek.

"No, Ella...don't cry..."

He was at a loss for words.

"I'm just so confused," he said, finally. "You have to understand...I received a note from you about your new marriage, and that was the last I'd heard from you until I found you in my room tonight. I...I think you were right about needing to explain things in order." He tried to regain his princely composure. "I just need to understand what happened."

I nodded, and wiped away the remaining tears. Of course I should have explained about the letter first.

"I knew I couldn't marry you if I was cursed," I said slowly, trying not to cry again. "The risk would have been too great...for you, for Kyrria...it would be selfish of me to marry you when I would be putting you in such danger." Despite my best efforts, tears were welling up, but I pushed them up. I was going to tell him everything this time, without any interruptions. "And if I couldn't marry you, then I needed to get you to give up on me. So that's why I wrote you that letter."

I expected him to get angry. To yell at me, or at least raise his voice, and tell me how much he hated me. How he was a fool for ever thinking he loved me. I braced myself for the blow, but I kept my eyes open. I wasn't going to hide anymore.

He didn't get angry, but suddenly he looked wide awake, with the shadows of confusion still present on his face.

"You wrote the letter?" he asked.

"Yes," I said, unsure if he wanted me to say more.

"The letter that broke my heart?"

I grimaced. "Yes."

"You wrote it because you thought it would be too dangerous for me to marry you?"

"Yes."

"Even though you did want to marry me?" His voice was taking on a slightly more urgent tone, and his eyes searched mine for answers. The confusion vanished from his face and was replaced with an emotion I couldn't quite place.

I didn't hesitate.

"Yes."

"Because you loved me?"

"I still do."

He looked at me for a second - just a second, but it felt like the longest second of my life. I saw the hint of a smile form on his lips. Then his lips were on mine, and I felt a warm sensation spread throughout my entire body, and I felt his body shiver next to me. It took me a moment to react, but then I was kissing him back, quickly at first, but then more slowly. One of his hands made its way to the back of my neck, and I ran my fingers through his hair, and without proper balance we fell back onto the bed.

I could have stayed like that forever, but I needed him to say something. I pulled away.

"You don't hate me?" I asked, even though I knew the answer.

"Never," he whispered, rubbing his thumb against my cheek where tears had fallen minutes before. "If anything, after learning about how strong," he kissed me, "and selfless," he kissed me again, a bit longer, "and brave you are, I love you more than I ever have." His hands went to my waist and pulled me closer to him.

I leaned in to kiss him, but he stopped me.

"Ella," he said seriously, though his eyes were smiling, "I have something very important to ask you."

I smiled. "And what is that, my prince?"

He smiled too, and his hands found mine. "Will you marry me?"

I closed my eyes for a moment, and memorized the feeling of the butterflies rushing through my body. Everything, Mum Olga and Hattie and Olive and Father and Mandy and Lucinda, everything had been worth it for this moment.

"Yes," I whispered, opening my eyes again. "Yes, yes, yes."

I leaned in to kiss him, and this time he didn't stop me. I felt him smile, and I smiled too.

I don't know how long we stayed like that, but eventually I felt myself begin to fall asleep. He whispered in my ear that he loved me, and I mumbled it back, trying very hard to stay awake and failing. I remember Char pulling the blankets over me before pressing himself next to me, his arms around me, the steadiness of his breathing, and the warmth emanating from wherever he touched me.

My last thought before losing consciousness was that Philip was the best horse in the entire world.

_AN: :)_

_Add'l AN: Haha, I guess I should have said this when I first published, but yes this is the ending, unless you think there's anything left unresolved. I don't want to keep going with this story because at this point I feel like it's done everything I meant for it to do...right now I'm more focused on trying to come up with a new story. Anyway, thanks to everyone who's read this, and extra thanks to the reviewers :)_


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